Developments in upper Gulf Coast of Texas in 1960

This paper is devoted to exploration and development activity for 1960 in the 29 counties of Texas Railroad Commission District 3 and in the adjoining Continental Shelf area. There was a slight increase of 16 wells in the total drilling for 1960 as compared with total wells drilled in 1959. There were 6 fewer exploratory wildcats and 22 more development wells drilled in 1960 than in 1959. In 1960 there were 34 new oil (15) and gas (19) fields discovered in the district, chiefly along the deep Frio, Wilcox, and Yegua trends. Crude oil production decreased nearly 11 million bbls. in 1960. The drop in production was partly due to restrictions on production. Oil production in Texas in 1960 declined to an average of 8.66 days per month, compared with an average of 9.25 days in 1959. Gas and condensate production increased in 1960 over 1959. Offshore exploratory wildcat wells drilled totaled 8, an increase of 2 wells from the 6 drilled during 1959. It is expected that exploratory drilling during 1961 will be most active along the deep Frio, Yegua, and Wilcox trends.